


The Grudge

by NerdyNostalgia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ezor lives, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Rewrite of The Grudge, s8? what s8?, shiro saves keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:29:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24153601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdyNostalgia/pseuds/NerdyNostalgia
Summary: Rewrite of the episode 'The Grudge' so that Shiro does more than give a shocked face. He actually is the one to save Keith.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Minor Zethrid/Ezor (Voltron)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	The Grudge

Shiro stood in front of the lava pits frozen as he watched Zethrid hold a blade to Keith’s throat. He couldn’t help but take in Keith as he struggled in Zethrid’s grip. It was clear he had been in a fight and he was missing his armour. He wanted to rush forward but he didn’t want to risk Keith’s life or safety. Zethrid was unpredictable in her current state and he couldn’t risk Keith.

His mind briefly ran through the different scenarios if he acted too rashly. He pictured Zethrid snapping Keith’s neck, slicing it open or her throwing them both into the lava pits below. All of which he was trying to avoid. He briefly looked to his right and saw his prosthetic hovering a short distance behind the half-Galra. He would have to time his next move perfectly for this to work.

He stepped forward with his arm up, “Zethrid, we can discuss this. We can figure something out.”

Zethrid let out a chilling laugh that sent shivers down his spine, “Talk? Ha! What is there to talk about? I have lost everything because of you. You all are to blame for this. Now I'll see to it that you suffer the same way I am. I’m going to kill the one you love.”

She shifted and tightened her hold on Keith with the arm that held the blade. Despite the fact that the blade was no longer to his neck Keith was now struggling for breath as her arm pressed more firmly against his neck. Her right arm was free and was holding out a gun...pointed directly at Shiro. The Captain knew in that moment that her words had been directed at Keith. But what did she mean by them?

He looked at Keith and saw the panicked looking his eyes. He agreed with the panic as he didn’t want anyone to die here today. A cruel smirk found its way onto Zethrid's lips and she began to squeeze the trigger. She opened her mouth to speak but Shiro couldn’t hear the words over the words over the rush of his own heartbeat in his ears.

“How do you think it will feel to see the man you love die in front of your eyes? Maybe you'll feel a fraction of how I’m feeling. I'll make you lose everything like I lost everything.”

Her words caused Keith to begin struggling but she was much stronger than him and his efforts appeared to achieve nothing. She felt a sick joy of making them hurt the way she was hurting.

“Zethrid, stop!”

Acxa climbed over the ridge and stepped in front of Shiro. Zethrid stopped squeezing the trigger but her arm never lowered.

“Acxa? What are you doing here?” Zethrid asked.

“This is about Ezor, correct?” Acxa asked. Zethrid tightened her hold on Keith and Shiro wanted desperately to rush forward but he also wanted to know what Acxa was up to. Zethrid growled and took a step back towards the ledge as Acxa took a step forward.

“Don’t mention her name!” Zethrid growled as she pointed the gun at Acxa. Acxa ignored the gun and took another step forward.

“She’s alive Zethrid.”

Zethrid’s breathing increased, “You’re lying!”

“I’m not. Ezor is alive. She’s injured but alive.”

“How injured?”

“You know that she was in an explosion…”

“Get on with it! How injured is she?!”

“She has lost an arm and a leg. Her eyes were injured. At the moment she’s blind and it is unclear if she will regain her sight.”

Zethrid shook with indecision. Could she trust Acxa’s words? Was Ezor really alive?

A crackle came through Shiro’s comms as Zethrid and Acxa stared each other down. He paid it no mind, fearful that if he moved he would cause Zethrid to hurt Keith in some way.

“Sir.” Veronica’s whisper came through.

He hummed but otherwise didn’t move.

“Sir, Acxa is providing a distraction. Use your arm and knock Zethrid out. Attack her now! While her focus is on Acxa.”

He hummed again and focussed on his arm which was still floating behind Zethrid. He stood up a little straighter and willed his arm to fly as fast as it could to the back of Zethrid’s head. The force of the punch knocked Zethrid and Keith forward. Acxa moved the large half-Galra off of Keith but before she could check Keith, Zethrid grabbed her and threw her aside. Shiro rushed forward and tackled Zethrid himself as she began to get up. He had only one instinct at this point which was to get her away from Keith. The two struggled on the ledge above the lava pits as they fought. Keith watched in disbelief as Shiro fought the half-Galra was twice his size. For a moment it made him wonder if he had done something like this in the arena.

His attention was taken as Acxa grabbed his shoulder and dragged him away from the ledge. He struggled as they moved further away as he didn’t want to leave Shiro. He didn’t want to leave the man behind and have something possibly happen to him. He would never be able to live with himself. He managed to get out of Acxa’s grip and ran back to where Zethrid and Shiro were still fighting. He was pleased to see that it appeared that Shiro had the upper hand. He didn’t think for a moment to hide or even shield himself as he stood watching the fight.

Shiro was too focused on Zethrid to see Keith reappear, but Zethrid had noticed. Even if Ezor was alive she was still injured. She was going to get revenge either way. She manoeuvred herself and rolled on the ground to avoid a punch and managed to grab the gun. She pointed it at Shiro. He felt a shiver run down his spine at the sinister nature of the smile. He was prepared for almost anything.

Her smile grew as she turned her gun away and pointed it…at Keith. She squeezed the trigger but Shiro was already on the move. He ran and put himself between Keith and Zethrid.

Keith watched horrified as the shot hit Shiro in the shoulder. He was now the one frozen.

Shiro ignored the pain, he’d known worse, and charged towards Zethrid. The smile fell from her face as she realised that not only had the shot not reached its target but it had done little to stop the Champion. Shiro put everything into his next punch. He had to end this and end it now, before she got another chance to hurt Keith. He threw everything he had into his attacks and with the next couple of punches Zethrid laid unconscious on the floor.

Adrenaline ran through his system and he barely noticed the pain in his shoulder. As he took in the sight of Zethrid on the floor he couldn’t help but think back to the arena. He had promised himself that he would never be like that again and now he had just fought as if he was fighting an area a opponent. His hands shook as he stared at the sight.

“Shiro!”

His name being called brought him out of his thoughts. He turned around and saw Keith in front of him. He breathed a sigh of relief that he appeared to be in no worse condition than he had been. He looked back at the ledge and noticed Keith’s blade sat precariously on the edge. He walked over and picked it up before making his way over to Keith.

He held the blade out with a smile on his face, “Here. I believe this is yours.”

Keith took it and held it to his chest, “Thank you Shiro, but are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you.”

“I’m fine. Nothing a bit of rest wont fix.”

Veronica and Acxa moved forward and Shiro nodded at the pair, “You two take care Zethrid while I get Keith back to the ship.”

The pair nodded and set about restrained Acxa’s former teammate. Shiro turned his attention back to Keith and the two made their way back to the ship. They make it far when Keith began to sway on his feet. He didn’t know if it was the adrenaline leaving his system or the carbon dioxide rich air but he began to feel dizzy. Shiro noticed and once again he was worried about Keith. Without much thought he picked Keith up and carried him bridal style.

“Shiro? What?”

“This way I can get us to the ship faster. Just hold on, okay?” Shiro couldn’t deny that it felt good to have Keith in his arms. This was a private fantasy of his that he would never admit too, even if he fantasised about in in very different circumstances.

“What about your shoulder?” Keith’s words were beginning to slur a little so he quickened his pace.

“My shoulder’s fine for now.”

He made his way to the ship as fast as he could. Luckily Veronica and Acxa were close behind so it wasn’t too long before he and Keith were on their way to the medbay. Keith’s breathing had evened out a little now that they were on the ATLAS but Shiro was still worried. There could be more serious injuries that they couldn’t see.

He laid Keith on a bed and a medical team began to work on him. They gave him an oxygen mask, much to his annoyance, and scanned for any broken bones. Shiro stood in the corner of the room as he didn’t want to get in the way, but he also didn’t want to let Keith out of his sight. It didn’t take long for the team to determine that Keith was going to be okay. He was suffering mostly from deep bruises and lack of oxygen. A night of rest and easy activity for the next few days. Shiro let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding when the team walked out leaving a grumpy Keith in their wake.

“I don’t know why I have this thing on? I feel fine.” Keith said.

“You were in a carbon dioxide fish environment for who knows how long. They have to be sure there’s no lasting side effects. Besides one night and then it’s done.” Shiro tried to reassure Keith.

Keith looked at Shiro to complain some more when he noticed the growing red patch on his shoulder, “Shiro! Your shoulder!”

Shiro put his hand up and pulled it away to see a small amount of blood on a couple of fingers. He tried to move his shoulder and hissed as the pain ran through his shoulder. The adrenaline was beginning to leave his system and he was beginning to feel the pain from his earlier fight with Zethrid.

“Guess I should get that looked at?” Shiro said.

“Absolutely.” Keith said as he pressed the call bell.

A nurse entered and Keith pointed to Shiro’s shoulder. The nurse’s eyes widened and she left briefly before coming back with a couple of doctors. They began to fuss over Shiro and he sighed as they pushed him to get changed into hospital attire.

“I’m not leaving Keith.” He said as he took the tank top and sweatpants from the nurse.

As he changed a second bed was wheeled into the room. They weren’t going to argue with their Captain, especially since they had learned that the only way to get him to stay in the medbay was to comply with his demands.

Keith smirked as he watched it all and his smirk grew as Shiro came out with a pout on his lips. The older man sat on the bed and said nothing as his wound was treated. He only hissed a few times. He was also checked for additional injuries. Apart from his shoulders he also only suffered from bruising but he would also need to stay overnight.

* * *

But Shiro’s night would not be peaceful.

He had been able to fall asleep easily earlier that night due to his exhaustion and the knowledge that Keith was okay. It would always be his little secret that he had watched Keith sleep for a short time before he had fallen asleep himself. However his dreams soon became nightmares. His dreams morphed from one horrible scenario to another. In one he was too late to save Keith and Zethrid stood over his body floating, while in another when he’d punched Zethrid it had caused her blade to slit Keith’s throat. In another one the gunshot had hit its target and killed Keith. While none of those scenarios had happened, his brain wouldn’t stop conjuring up the worst case scenarios.

He woke with a gasp and looked around to find the room in dim light. Starlight streamed through the window while the light from the corridor came through the doorway. But it did nothing to alleviate his fears. He turned to look at Keith’s bed and found it empty. A pit formed in his stomach and he could feel the panic growing. Had his dreams been true?

A sudden light filled the room which caused Shiro to squint as he looked towards it. He felt himself sag in relief when he saw Keith exit the bathroom. He guessed he must still have a panicked expression on his face as Keith rushed over.

“Shiro? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Shiro took a few deep breaths, not realising his breathing had quickened, “Just a nightmare.”

Keith stood by the side of the bed as Shiro swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He knew that he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep that night. Keith stepped closer, still worried about his friend.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, I will be.” Shiro replied.

He could feel himself shaking as he sat there. His eyes were seeing Keith in front of him but his mind was not accepting the sight. He reached out and pulled Keith towards him. He wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his head in the crook of his neck. Keith put his arms around his shoulders, surprised at the sudden gesture. While they had hugged before, they had never hugged like this. Keith let his hand migrate to Shiro’s hair and he ran his fingers through it. It was a comfort to both of them.

The hand running through his hair was grounding as he absorbed Keith’s presence in front of him. It reminded him that this was real, that Keith was real. He smelled like antiseptic but his body warmth was enough. He could feel himself calming down as they held each other.

“Shiro?”

“I almost lost you today.” He whispered into Keith’s neck, “I almost lost you.” His grip around Keith’s waist tightened.

The idea of losing Keith was unthinkable. It shook him to his very core and broke a part of him that he knew would never heal if it had actually happened. He couldn’t lose Keith, he just couldn’t.

“But you didn’t. I’m here. You saved me.” Keith whispered.

Shiro lifted his head and looked at Keith. Keith cupped both of his cheeks and smiled at him, “You saved me today. Thank you Shiro.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll always save you.”

Shiro noticed something in Keith’s eyes that he had seen before but never been able to put a name to. He had noticed it after he had woken up in Black’s cargo. Just like that occasion he thought that Keith might kiss him but instead he leaned in for a hug. Shiro couldn’t deny that he was a little disappointed. Their arms tightened around each other again and they lost track of time in the other’s arms.

Eventually the two pulled back as Shiro felt himself completely calm down. He looked up and his breath was taken away. Keith looked beautiful with the way the light was hitting him. He desperately wanted to put words to the way he was feeling, but he didn’t know how or if he should.

“I love you.”

The words left his mouth as he admired Keith and the two froze as they registered the words that had left Shiro’s mouth. Shiro felt like cold water had been thrown over him as he stared wide-eyed at his best friend. Keith was also wide-eyed but it didn’t last long.

Keith’s gaze softened, “I love you too Shiro. You’re…”

Shiro shook his head. He knew it was now or never. He had finally said the words. They were out in the world and he had to deal with it. Maybe it was the fact that he had almost lost Keith today, maybe it was the nightmare but he didn’t want to ignore this. He didn’t want to say this feeling was something it wasn’t. He wanted to take the risk.

“Keith, I don’t think you’re understanding me. I love you.”

“I know.”

“Keith, I _love_ you. I’m in love with you. I know you may not feel the same way but I just want you to know that I’ll always be your friend and in your life either way…”

His words were cut off by Keith leaning down and pressing his lips to Shiro’s in a quick kiss. He pulled away looking like he couldn’t believe he had just done that. Shiro couldn’t believe it either.

“Shiro, I love you too. I feel the same way.”

Shiro’s eyes widened as the implications of what Keith was saying hit him, “You, you feel the same way?”

Keith smiled at him and nodded, “Yeah, I do. I love you Shiro.”

“I love you too.”

He leaned up and met Keith’s lips in a brief kiss. He pulled away smiling. He wrapped his arms around Keith and leaned in for another kiss when he felt a yawn building. He turned his head away and let out a large yawn. Keith laughed before yawning himself.

“I think it may be time for bed.” Keith said.

Shiro nodded and let out another yawn. Keith laughed again and Shiro smiled. They let their arms drop and Keith took a step back to return to his bed but Shiro grabbed his hand. He pulled Keith back towards him.

“We’re supposed to be going to bed.” Keith said.

“We will, but this bed is so big and it’s lonely with you all the way over there.” Shiro teased. It seemed he was more than a little sleep drunk as his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own.

“Well, when you put it like that.”

Shiro got on the bed and laid down. He lifted the covers for Keith who climbed in. They settled down in the bed and it wasn’t quite as large as to allow the both of them to have a lot of space. They were very close but neither minded. It was a comfort to have the other close after today, but it was also a giddy experience now that they had confessed to one another. They couldn’t resist one last kiss before trying to sleep.

* * *

Shiro woke up the next morning after the best sleep he had had in a long time. He felt a weight on his chest and looked down and smiled when he saw a head of black hair. He couldn’t resist leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of Keith’s head. He couldn’t believe that last night hadn’t been a dream. He had really confessed to Keith, he had really kissed him. The joy he felt was immeasurable. He had the man he loved in his arms and he was safe. It felt like everything that had happened up until that point had been worth it as it had led him to this moment.

He didn’t want to think of work right now. That would be for when he and Keith were discharged. Then they could focus on winning the war. Right now he wanted to concentrate on this little world that involved just him and Keith.


End file.
